Kamala Harris, Wrong about Abortion Restrictions and Maternal Mortality

At a recent campaign stop, Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking of pro-life advocates, said that “while these extremists say they are motivated by the health and the well-being of the women and children of America, in reality, they ignore the crisis of maternal mortality. The top ten states in our country with the highest rates of maternal mortality all have abortion bans. The hypocrisy abounds” (emphasis added).

It’s an interesting claim for two reasons. First, it’s testable, and second, it appears to imply two different conclusions. One is that abortion bans perhaps cause maternal mortality, and the other that abortion bans combined with maternal mortality point to gross disregard for women’s health.

About the Author

Lyman R. Stone

Lyman Stone is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Pronatalism Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies.

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At a recent campaign stop, Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking of pro-life advocates, said that “while these extremists say they are motivated by the health and the well-being of the women and children of America, in reality, they ignore the crisis of maternal mortality. The top ten states in our country with the highest rates of maternal mortality all have abortion bans. The hypocrisy abounds” (emphasis added).

It’s an interesting claim for two reasons. First, it’s testable, and second, it appears to imply two different conclusions. One is that abortion bans perhaps cause maternal mortality, and the other that abortion bans combined with maternal mortality point to gross disregard for women’s health.